Summer of Hate

The August recess is almost over, so now we get to see whether Obama has an Act II or if he really thinks the way to handle screaming, gun-toting bullies is to smile and describe Section 18 of the bill once again.

Or whether the people who actually put him in office and elected historic Democratic majorities to both houses of Congress get to have more say than six senators from states where the buffalo outnumber the bipeds.

This summer has been a lesson in intimidation and hate campaigning. It’s curious that there has been virtually no push-back from the White House or its party against the anti-democratic and crypto-violent tactics deployed against them.

Anyone who’s ever joined an organization has had the experience: 90% of the group comes to agreement on a given issue, but the two who are against it shout, scream, stomp their feet, move to adjourn, seize the microphone, denounce fascism and exhaust everyone. Whether or not they win concessions, they succeed in pissing everyone off and driving away participants.

Protecting democratic process means having a strategy to isolate and marginalize these hijackers and putschists because they always appear and have boundless neurotic energy.

What is most remarkable about the town-hall spectacle is that Obama’s spokespeople haven’t picked up the eight-foot cudgel laid at their feet and beaten the Beckites and their Republican toadies over the head with it.

The Dems could have poured it on about ‘democratic process’, ‘listening to both sides’, ‘engaging in civilized debate’ and developed a fairly unassailable talking point that could have had considerable long-term impact. People generally do believe in being polite even in political debates.

Most incredible of all was the White House’s refusal to denounce the practice of bringing along guns. Make no mistake—these weapons were used at the rallies, just as an armed robber ‘uses’ his pistol when holding up a Seven/Eleven, whether or not he fires it.

It is only one step from waving a gun at your enemies to shooting them, and I have no doubt that this step will be taken sooner rather than later. What will the White House say then? I can hear it already: ‘We condemn violence and will leave all comments on criminal acts to the proper local authorities. . . .’

Meanwhile, will Obama allow armed thugs to dictate our social policy? Say it ain’t so.